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Hayle Coven #7
Flesh and Blood
Demon Boy
The smoke began to clear, the bubble of family magic collapsing to let it out. I choked on the taint of it, terror rising as I understood why it tasted so foul, felt like death. Blood magic. Dad lay across the pentagram, one outstretched hand marked with a thick line of red, a pool of it spreading around his flesh. No. Way. My brain would not process though my heart died a little at the sight.
A flicker of motion caught my eye, distracted me. A stranger stood there, a guy about my age, amber gaze glowing, black hair shaggy around his cheeks. “Syd,” he whispered, looking at his hands, touching his face, the demon fire fading from his eyes.
“Sassafras?”
When Syd’s father chooses to use blood magic in an attempt to return to Demonicon, he not only seals his own fate, a death sentence, he somehow transfers all of his remaining power into the demon cat, Sassafras. Transformed by Harry’s magic, Sassafras is suddenly back to his human form. Faced with a sullen and angry teen demon who refuses to help, Syd must somehow find a way to reach the other plane before Harry’s depleted body destroys itself or he is burned at the stake for his crime.
The smoke began to clear, the bubble of family magic collapsing to let it out. I choked on the taint of it, terror rising as I understood why it tasted so foul, felt like death. Blood magic. Dad lay across the pentagram, one outstretched hand marked with a thick line of red, a pool of it spreading around his flesh. No. Way. My brain would not process though my heart died a little at the sight.
A flicker of motion caught my eye, distracted me. A stranger stood there, a guy about my age, amber gaze glowing, black hair shaggy around his cheeks. “Syd,” he whispered, looking at his hands, touching his face, the demon fire fading from his eyes.
“Sassafras?”
When Syd’s father chooses to use blood magic in an attempt to return to Demonicon, he not only seals his own fate, a death sentence, he somehow transfers all of his remaining power into the demon cat, Sassafras. Transformed by Harry’s magic, Sassafras is suddenly back to his human form. Faced with a sullen and angry teen demon who refuses to help, Syd must somehow find a way to reach the other plane before Harry’s depleted body destroys itself or he is burned at the stake for his crime.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2012
29 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
About the author
Patti Larsen
301 books547 followersI write a lot of paranormal books for someone who is afraid of the dark. And I wonder why I have to sleep with the lights on. Sometimes life is a teenaged B horror movie and I'm the one who investigates when the scary music is playing. But the voices are calling and resistance is… Yes. I am a Star Trek geek, too. And a fan of RPG’s. With a slight coolness factor since I've been told I'm allowed to join the pops.
Naw. I like being a nerdy girl :)
Naw. I like being a nerdy girl :)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 12, 2012
“Flesh and Blood”, the seventh book in the Hayle Coven series is a decidedly grimmer read than the previous six books. When Syd's dad performs blood magic in a desperate effort to get back to Demonicon, he just about writes his own death warrant, turns Sassafras from a sassy cat into an angry demon boy and brings down the wrath of not only the Hayle Coven but also the High Council, for performing blood magic. With Syd and her family at their weakest, predators like the Dumonts, their werewolves and the remnants of the Chosen of the Light, close in for the kill.
Again Patti Larsen succeeded in keeping me in my reading seat until I had devoured the very last page of this marvelous book. It baffles and delights me that she is able to take the same characters, add a few, or even let a few go perhaps, and still come up with a fresh and utterly unique story every time. In each new book the characters grow; their relationships with one another shifting and changing while new ones get a foothold in the supernatural community.
Syd, understandably, is not quite her normal smart-mouthed, snarky self in this book which is just natural with her father dying, her boyfriend still missing and her mother cracking under the strain. Fortunately she has Galleytrot, hound of the wild hunt and her latest friend, Liam, to support her, and Sassafras - once he gets over himself - also gives a hand. This is the first book in which Syd is required, and even encouraged, to explore and use her considerable power. Combine witch power, sidhe power and demon power and you get butt-kickingly awesome!
Readers, red alert Kleenex warning! I bawled my eyes out several times while reading “Flesh and Blood”. As usual I highly recommend this book as an absolute must-read for readers of fantasy with all the usual elements: vampires, witches, werewolves, sidhe, demons and some other weird and wonderful things. While you're considering getting “Flesh and Blood”, why not also get the previous six books in this series and find out how all this started? A loud cheer for Ms Larsen and this wonderful 5 star book! (Ellen Fritz)
Again Patti Larsen succeeded in keeping me in my reading seat until I had devoured the very last page of this marvelous book. It baffles and delights me that she is able to take the same characters, add a few, or even let a few go perhaps, and still come up with a fresh and utterly unique story every time. In each new book the characters grow; their relationships with one another shifting and changing while new ones get a foothold in the supernatural community.
Syd, understandably, is not quite her normal smart-mouthed, snarky self in this book which is just natural with her father dying, her boyfriend still missing and her mother cracking under the strain. Fortunately she has Galleytrot, hound of the wild hunt and her latest friend, Liam, to support her, and Sassafras - once he gets over himself - also gives a hand. This is the first book in which Syd is required, and even encouraged, to explore and use her considerable power. Combine witch power, sidhe power and demon power and you get butt-kickingly awesome!
Readers, red alert Kleenex warning! I bawled my eyes out several times while reading “Flesh and Blood”. As usual I highly recommend this book as an absolute must-read for readers of fantasy with all the usual elements: vampires, witches, werewolves, sidhe, demons and some other weird and wonderful things. While you're considering getting “Flesh and Blood”, why not also get the previous six books in this series and find out how all this started? A loud cheer for Ms Larsen and this wonderful 5 star book! (Ellen Fritz)
July 7, 2012
The. Best. One. Yet. Those four little words hold a lot of power to be able to describe a whole book. I was basically a blubbering mess the whole book through. For those how don't know me personally, I'm a tough girl, it takes A LOT to make me shed some tears. Flesh and Blood did just that. Being the seventh book in this series, fans can't help but feel like you are a part of the Hayle family.
Syd's father, Harry, is desperate to try anything, anything at all to return him to not only Demonicon, but to make him not moral anymore. Even going as far as to use *GASP* blood magic, which is punishable by death. When his attempt goes wrong, all of his powers are sent into Sassafrass, the Hayle family cat. And low and behold, Sassy is now a teenage boy! For the first time in 150 years, he is no longer in the body of a cat! Unfortunatly, Harrys body is on the decline and time is not on Syd's side as Syd, Sassy, and Liam (yes he makes a return in book seven so I'm hoping he is here to stay!!) research, experiment, and even travel to the demon plane to get help from Sassy's dad just to save Harry's life. Gram is still gone, Meira is basically keeping Harry alive by feeding him her demon power, then the nasty Dumonts decide to make their return, a long with Quaid. Syd also comes to realize just how much power she really does have and the coven starts showing some respect. You can't help but root and cheer for Syd, considering she didn't even want anything to do with the family magic, no less her powers!
Full of emotion, both the happy and sad kind, I would LOVE to share with you how Flesh and Blood ends...but I don't like cheating and I feel I would be cheating readers by telling. So grab your copy then feel free to email me if you are looking for someone to discuss with! If you have never read any of the Hayle Coven novels, grab you a copy of Family Magic and be amazed at how fast you devour the rest of the series.
Syd's father, Harry, is desperate to try anything, anything at all to return him to not only Demonicon, but to make him not moral anymore. Even going as far as to use *GASP* blood magic, which is punishable by death. When his attempt goes wrong, all of his powers are sent into Sassafrass, the Hayle family cat. And low and behold, Sassy is now a teenage boy! For the first time in 150 years, he is no longer in the body of a cat! Unfortunatly, Harrys body is on the decline and time is not on Syd's side as Syd, Sassy, and Liam (yes he makes a return in book seven so I'm hoping he is here to stay!!) research, experiment, and even travel to the demon plane to get help from Sassy's dad just to save Harry's life. Gram is still gone, Meira is basically keeping Harry alive by feeding him her demon power, then the nasty Dumonts decide to make their return, a long with Quaid. Syd also comes to realize just how much power she really does have and the coven starts showing some respect. You can't help but root and cheer for Syd, considering she didn't even want anything to do with the family magic, no less her powers!
Full of emotion, both the happy and sad kind, I would LOVE to share with you how Flesh and Blood ends...but I don't like cheating and I feel I would be cheating readers by telling. So grab your copy then feel free to email me if you are looking for someone to discuss with! If you have never read any of the Hayle Coven novels, grab you a copy of Family Magic and be amazed at how fast you devour the rest of the series.
December 16, 2013
Another awesome Hayle Coven story! We get a dose of Sassafras in this one, in HUMAN form! Not only does Sass get into some shenanigans trying to save Syd’s Father Harry, but Harry causes some really intense trouble for them all too. Enough so that his magic has disappeared, which could be good or really, really bad. What is Syd to do? Poor thing is always caught in the mess head on, a true magnet for trouble. Seeing how much she has grown. Even Quaid’s return in this one is short, but brief, but is overshadowed by Syd’s family’s grief.
The despair of Harry’s loss of Demonicon and his power come to a head in this one, leaving Syd to fend for herself again. In the midst of it all, some old enemies come treading back for Syd, hoping to destroy her completely, and they have no qualms in using Sassafras in the process.
Each book keeps getting better and better. There is no way, if you’ve read this far in the series, that you can ever stop reading them now. The books embed themselves into you, as the characters do, and all you want to do is see what happens next to Syd, her family, friends and even her enemies. Totally addictive and I can’t wait to immerse myself into the Hayle Coven world again and again.
The despair of Harry’s loss of Demonicon and his power come to a head in this one, leaving Syd to fend for herself again. In the midst of it all, some old enemies come treading back for Syd, hoping to destroy her completely, and they have no qualms in using Sassafras in the process.
Each book keeps getting better and better. There is no way, if you’ve read this far in the series, that you can ever stop reading them now. The books embed themselves into you, as the characters do, and all you want to do is see what happens next to Syd, her family, friends and even her enemies. Totally addictive and I can’t wait to immerse myself into the Hayle Coven world again and again.
October 23, 2017
Another great story but this one was much harder for me to get into and keep my attention. Besides Syd, Sassy is by far my favorite character. Actually... I think I might like him more! I love me a sexy, sarcastic man lol! Along with all of the other books so far this book had new situations, new struggles, new heartbreaks, and annoying assholes that just won’t get their own life.
December 30, 2013
I saw Ms. Larsen's first book Family Magic on BookBub.com and thought it sounded interesting, a which demon gal, different. That hooked me to buy the first story in the 20 book series. The writing and characters kept me hooked through the remaining 19 books. I rarely will buy Ebooks when they're $5.99 ... after Family Magic I didn't blink, just bought the next one and downloaded. I just had to see what was going to happen next. I really got invested in the story line, wanting to know what twists and turns would happen next. I don't know how many times I burst out laughing or cried my eyes out as the story unfolded (make sure you have a box of tissues for the last couple books you'll need them), or how often I didn't want to put the book down (but had to because my lunch hour was over) The characters were believable ... some you fell in love with, others you loved to hate. Anything I write about the story will give away what happens, but so you have to read them and see what happened. You won't be sorry you picked them up. I just wish there was more after book story, but there are more in the Hayle Coven universe. I read the books one after another, so this is the same review for all of them.
I'm 50 and enjoy young adult books because the lack of sex scenes in them You get to know the characters more in them. Although Syd does have sex in some of them, there is no description of it, just mentioned that she did have it and maybe waking up with her boyfriend. My niece is 14 and I'd give them to her to read.
I'm 50 and enjoy young adult books because the lack of sex scenes in them You get to know the characters more in them. Although Syd does have sex in some of them, there is no description of it, just mentioned that she did have it and maybe waking up with her boyfriend. My niece is 14 and I'd give them to her to read.
August 10, 2012
I am a fan of this series, magic and mayhem suited for the teens with no sex or gory horror. If I had a daughter I would definitely recommend the series. Syd has matured a lot since the beginning of the series and the family is dealing with their demon father who is stuck in this realm powerless to return to Demonicon. Her boyfriend is still off seeking retribution for his family and the Dumont's are plotting their revenge but it had been quiet for awhile now so all Syd had to do was concentrate on graduation and the upcoming dance. All that is about to change when her father uses blood magic to try and return to Demonicon and it backfires causing Sassifrass to become human for the first time in 150 years. While Sass is now human and he seems to have her father's power, her father's health is slowing fading and if they don't find a way to return his power to him and get him home, he may die. No pressure right but on top of that the Coven is not happy about the use of blood magic, Celeste is on the warpath to gain control of the coven and Alison is back home more depressed than ever. Syd enlists the help of Liam who under different circumstances, would have been happy to pursue a relationship with if her boyfriend was not in the picture. Together with Sass and Liam, Syd must find a way to save her father and help Sass remain human. A sneak attack is on the horizon and will Syd have what it takes to save the day, read this book and then you will find out.
July 7, 2012
I've said this before, but this is my favorite series EVER! I love it. And this book, oh my swearword, as Syd would say. First off, Sassafras is one of the best characters in this series. I adore the demon cat who has been sent to guard and protect Hayle women for the last 150 years. Since I've also read the Smoke and Magic series Smoke and Magic (Blood and Gold), I've seen Sass with Syd's ancestor, Burdie, when she was a teen.
And this book reveals much of his story. When Syd's demon lord father uses blood magic to try to get home, it has unexpected consequences, especially for Sass. I don't want to give away anything, but this book was heart wrenching. Be prepared to cry.
On a side note, I'm loving Liam. He's a great character and is giving the sexy Quaid a serious run for his money. Oh Syd, so much going on in your life!
Anyone who loves this series MUST read this book!
And this book reveals much of his story. When Syd's demon lord father uses blood magic to try to get home, it has unexpected consequences, especially for Sass. I don't want to give away anything, but this book was heart wrenching. Be prepared to cry.
On a side note, I'm loving Liam. He's a great character and is giving the sexy Quaid a serious run for his money. Oh Syd, so much going on in your life!
Anyone who loves this series MUST read this book!
October 7, 2015
This book was a little predictable, and Sassafras, who was the focus of this book, is not my favorite character. Still fun reading. There was quite an unexpected twist at the end though. Can't wait to see where she takes all this.
June 14, 2017
So good
Each new book is better than the last. Loved reading this book. Syd is about to embark on a life out of high school and I can't wait. This is such a good series!
Each new book is better than the last. Loved reading this book. Syd is about to embark on a life out of high school and I can't wait. This is such a good series!
May 1, 2017
Well, damn. I know I said this in an earlier review, but SHIT WENT DOWN. Sassy=cool, btw. I'm glad we got to learn more. Also the whole "no edges" thing. Kinda awesome. Another great addition to this series. On to the next one!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews